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Front Range moms celebrate Mother's Day with their biological and adopted kids

By Whitney Bryen Longmont Times-Call

Posted:
05/11/2013 05:02:13 PM MDT

Updated:
05/12/2013 10:30:31 PM MDT

ERIE -- Christine Appel's oldest sons were born with her mechanical and athletic skills, but she will never know where her youngest son got his long eyelashes.

"People say he has my eyes and I'll take it even if it's not true," Appel said. "Unless we say something, people would never know he's adopted."

Michael, 4, moved in with the Erie family as a foster child when he was 10 months old and was adopted by the Appels in 2010.

Fostering was more of a means to an end for Christine Appel, who said she always wanted to adopt but never thought she could be a foster parent.

The thought of bonding with a child and then having to give them up was too much to bear until some of the parents from her son's kindergarten class changed Appel's mind.

Christine Appel enjoys a board game with her youngest son, Michael, 4, at the family's home in Erie on Thursday.
(
Greg Lindstrom
)

"Going into it the foster care part of it wasn't what we were interested in," Appel said. "We were interested in adopting, but, OK, we'll suffer through this because the end is good, but I think when Michael is a little older, I'd like to foster again."

The Appels were confronted with their biggest fear in 2009 when they were asked to take in a little boy for two weeks during an emergency.

Six months later, the family said goodbye to their first foster child when he was placed with his estranged sibling. Michael arrived a few months later.

Now, Appel said life with three boys -- Zach, 11, Graeme, 8 and Michael -- is fun, busy, loud and pretty typical.

"I'm not a foster mom anymore, I'm just a regular mom, trying to carve out my little moments of sanity," she said.

Appel's Mother's Day will likely be filled with family time and a lot of noise, but Longmont mom Rosemary Cady is expecting a quiet Sunday.

Her oldest son, Balacs, wished her a happy Mother's Day last weekend, which is when the holiday is celebrated in his home country, Hungary.

The family adopted Balacs, 18, while doing church work abroad, Cady said. Balacs was 14 when he was taken in as a foster child by the Cadys, who adopted him before moving back to Colorado.

Christine Appel, center, helps her son Michael fold a calzone while her husband, Preston, right, helps Zach, left, and Graeme as the family prepares dinner on Thursday. To see more photos and a video, visit www.timescall.com.
(
Greg Lindstrom
)

Unlike Cady's younger children, Balacs calls her by her first name and refers to his birth mother as "mom."

"It's definitely different than my relationship with my younger kids, but he's still our child," Cady said. "He's a lot more independent than my younger ones but he still needs the same love and care that the little ones do."

There is no special characteristic or unique ability that makes a good foster or adoptive mom, the women agreed.

Regardless of the situation, Appel said, love is what children need the most.

"I think moms know, it's all about loving your kids for who they are," she said. "Michael may have those mysterious eyelashes, but he is still one of us and nothing will change that."

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